Towel cabinet



Nov. 12, 1929. G. A. STEINER 1,735,516

TOWEL CABINET Filed April 26. 1928 2 sheets-sheer. 1

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Patented Nov. 12,1929 f UNITD STATES PATENT'. oFFicE GEORGE ADOLPH STEINER, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR T0 STEINER SALES COMPANY, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION 0F UTAH TOWEL CABINET Application mea April 26,

My invention relates to a wall type of cabinet, that is, one to be secured to the wall or other upright support of a wash-room or other place where the cabinet may be located.A Generally the space allotted for such a cabinet, particularly in the modern type of office building, is comparatively small, and the object therefore of my invention is to so reduce the dimensions of the cabinet, particularly its height, that it may be easily fitted into the confined or contracted area usually provided for its reception.

A further object is to provide a cheaper form of cabinet for use in ollices and other places where a cabinet of simple, inexpensive structure is in demand.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally of various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a towel cabinet embodying my invention showing the upper door in its open position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the door closed and the cabinet ready for use;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the position assumed bythe partition between the clean and soiled towel chambers when a considerable amount of soiled toweling has accumulated on the soiled towed roll;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the cabinet closed and ready for use.

In the drawing, 2 Vrepresents the side walls of the cabinet, 3 the closed back therefor, and 4 a door in the top of the cabinet hinged at 5 to a rear cross bar or rail 6. A suitable stop and brace 7 is provided on the side walls against which the door 4 is seated in its closed position. 8 represents a front door hinged "at 9 to one of the side walls and having its upper portion abutting the forward edge of the door 4 when the cabinet is closed. This door 8 closes the upper portion of the front of the cabinet 'and is preferably provided 1928. Serial No.A 272,983.

with a suitable mirror 10 for convenience of the user of the towel. i

Within the cabinet adjacent the forward portion thereof, is a feed roll 11 having a suitable roughened surface and a belt drive connection 12 with a similar take-up feed roll 13 arranged in the lower walls of the cabinet preferably adjacent the rear thereof. These rolls are of substantially the same diameter and have therefore practically the same peripheral speed, and when the delivery roll 11 is operated a corresponding movement will be imparted through the drive belt to the roll beneath. The space in rear of the roll 11 constitutes the clean towel compartment, and the space around and adjacent the takeyup feed roll 13 forms the soiled towel compartment. 14 is a partition of suitable construction hinged preferably at 15 adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet and extending forwardly therefrom preferably to a point in the top of the cabinet I prefer to place j the clean towel supply 17 which may be conveniently inserted into the cabinet when the door 4 is raised. The clean web is then stretched over the delivery feed roll 11 where it will contact with a pressure roll 18 that is preferably mounted on the inner side of the door 8 as shown plainly in Figure 1. This roll exerts suflicient tension on the towel web to regulate the feed of the clean towel. A feed control device 19 is preferably provided in connection with the roll 11 by means of which the userof the towel can release the feed roll preliminary to pulling on the towel and delivering a supply of clean web.

The front of the cabinet atthe bottom is preferably provided with a door 20 hinged at 21 and adapted to swing outwardly and downwardly as indicated by full lines in Figure 1 so that access may be conveniently had to the soiled towel compartment. A horizontal gap 22 is preferably provided between the door 8 and the door 20 and through this gap the clean towel is stretched downwardly 24 formed therein extending inwardly to a point near-the middle of the cabinet and [thence downwardly toward the take-up feed roll 13. These guides are adapted to receive the take-up roll 25 on which the web -of soiled towel is wound'a'nd the bottom of the cabinet is rovided with an opening 26 v throu h whlch this soiled web is conducted from t e front of the cabinet upwardly to the takeup roll 25. This roll contacts b gravity wit the take-up feed roll 13 to e revolved b frictional contact withthis take-u feed ro l so th-at as the user draws out a pre etermined length of clean towel from the towel supply, a correspondin length will be wound on the take-up roll.l T 3, will gradually increase' in diameter and fill the soiled towel compartment and the cabinet must either have sufficient room vertically for this expansion or there must be a yielding partition between the clean and soiled towel compartments. It would be possible of course to make the cabinet of suiiicient height so there would be ample s ace in the clean towel compartment for the c ean towel supply and a corresponding space in the soiled towel compartment when the whole length of towel web was delivered thereto. To do this it would be necessar to add several inches to the height of the ca inet and this additional space would have no function except to provide room for the expansion of the soiled towel take-up roll as the web was wound thereon. I therefore conceived the idea of utilizing a portion of the space in 'the clean towel compartment to allow raising the soiled towel roll and its convenient removal from the cabinet. I am thus able to reduce the height of the cabinet and insert it into the small space generally provided for it, and to carr out this idea I rovide the movable or yiel 'ng partition 14 etween the clean and soiled towel com artments. The result is, when a considera le quantity of soiled towel has accumulated on the take-up roll, and the roll has risen inthe vertical guides `as indicated in Figure 3, the v attendant in removing this soiled towel roll, may raise the partition separating the compartments and easily and quickly remove the take-up roll from its guides. I thus temporarily use a portion of the space in the cabinet that is allotted to the clean towel compartment and by so doing. I am able to shorten the cabinet several inches, economize in the cost of manufacture and provide a cabinet that will it the minimum space provided for such an article in the wash room.

It may happen that during the winding of the soiled web on the take-up roll, it will contact with the partition and lift it sli htly'to provide room for the winding of t e web.

user.V The end of the web is" 1 l the cabinet to the take-uprollandas the:fvvg'ali .y is wound on this roll, it will graduallyrise'in is roll, as indicated in Figure at that time be practically Vexhaus'te entirely so, and as soon as the attendantopens the door and removes the loaded take-up roll,

the partition separating the compartments will drop back to its normal position and be ready to receive a supply of clean towel.

The doors in the top and front of the cabil net may be provided with suitable locks, one. suilicing for the two upper doors and reventingany. .unauthorized person from o taining access to the interior of the cabinet. When the door in the top is opened, a clean 'supply of towel may be conveniently inserted and upon opening theupperfront door, the web o towel may be conveniently stretched over the delivery feed roll and dow'iifthroughthe gap between the upper a'ndjlfo` doo "where it can -be conveniently rea' :hl

the vertical guides remaining in contact by?" gravity with the take-up feed roll untiltlie entire length of the web or all but the end'por# tion thereof-is wound on the take-up roll, the l clean supply being exhausted. The attendant opening t e frontdoors may then conveniently raise the take-up roll to a point on a vlevel with the horizontal portions of the guides and then the roll with the soiled towel thereon may be pulled forwardly out of the cabinet. In raising the roll, the partition se arating the compartments will move upwar ly'as in dicated 1n the drawings, or yield vertically,

thereby temporarily increasin the height.- of p the solled towel chamber an allowing the soiled roll to be easily and quickly removed.

I do not wish to conine myselfto the form of the partition separating the two compartments or the material employed', as various means may be utilized for this-purpose, the primary object being to allow the accumula-v tion'of the soiled towel on the take-up roll .and its convenient removal from the cabinet preparatory to reloading, without the necessity of having space -in the soiled towel compartment which would be of no value tothe cabinet except to allow accumulation of the soiled 'web on the take-up roll. In various ways the details of construction herein shown and describedmay be modified and still be within the scope of my invention.

ing adapted to move vertically in said guides as the soiled web accumulates thereon and saidpartition being suiliciently near to said roll to rest thereon and yield vertically as the diameter of the roll increases and temporarily increase the height of said soiled towel chamber and allow the convenient removal of the loaded take-up roll.

2. A towel cabinet having a clean towel chamber in the upper portion and a soiled towel chamber and guides therein in the lower portion, a vertically movable partition separating said chambers, the top of said cabinet having an upwardly opening door therefor through which the clean towel supply may be inserted into its chamber, a take-up roll for the soiled towel movable vertically in said guides in the soiled towel chamber and onl which roll the soiled web may be wound, said partition being adapted to be lifted by the pressure of the soiled towel roll as it increases in diameter when toweling is rolled up thereon.

3. A towel cabinet having adjacent clean and soiled towel compartments, a movable partition interposed between said compartments, the said partition being adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, a soiled towel roll in the other compartment the said roll being mounted in guides extending to a point adjacent said partition whereby when the diameter of said soiled towel roll is increased said partition is moved upwardly to decrease the size of one of thel compartments.

4. A towel cabinet having adjacent clean and soiled towel compartments, a movable partition separating said compartments, one

. of said compartments being adapted to support a supply of clean towel on said partition, a soiled towel take up roll in the other compartment suiiiciently near to said roll that it will be movable by the roll in consequence of the temporary enlargement of said soiled towel take up roll as it increases in size when the toweling is rolled up thereon and passes from said supply to said roll.

5. A towel cabinet having clean and soiled towel compartments one above the other and a substantially horizontal movable partition separating said compartments, a clean towel supply in one compartment and a soiled towel roll in the other said partition being sufficiently close to said roll as to yield under pressure of the accumulation of soiled towel on the soiled towel roll as the toweling passes from said supply to said roll. l

6. A towel cabinet having clean and soiled towel compartments one above the other, a partition comprising a hinged horizontally extending plate adapted to swing upwardly, a stop below the plate to support it when a -clean towel supply is'resting on the plate, a soiled towel roll on which the plate may rest when the soiled towel roll is temporarily increased by rolling the toweling thereon and whereby the continuous winding of the soiled towel on said roll will raise said plate to decrease the size of the upper compartment and provide for the increase of the diameter of the towel roll in the lower compartment.

7. A towel cabinet for clean and soiled towel compartments one above the other, a movable partition separating said compartments, a take up feed roll journaled in the lower compartment and a take up roll in contact therewith, said take up roll being movable upwardly as it increases in diameter against said partition to raise the same and thus increase the capacity of the lower compartmlent to accommodate said enlarged take u ro l.

1O8. A towel cabinet having clean and soiled towel compartments one above the other, a movable partitionv between said compartments, said partition being adapted to support a supply of clean towel, a feed roll in front of said towel supply and a horizontally swinging door in front of said feed roll, a take up feed roll in the lower compartment and a take up roll resting thereon, a door in front of said take up roll, said take up roll as it increases in diameter being adapted to finally lift said partition and decrease the size of the upper compartment and a door above the partition openable upwardly for inserting the toweling through the top of the cabinet and economize the space in said upper compart-ment.

9. A towel cabinet having a clean towel chamber in the upper portion and a soiled towel chamber in the lower portion, a movable partition between the upper and lower compartments, a horizontal swinging door 1n front of the upper compartment and a down*- wardly swinging door in front of the lower compartment, a feed roll in front of the upper compartment and an upwardly opening door for the top of the upper compartment.

1 In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, 1928.

GEORGE ADOLPH STEINER. 

